This invention relates in general to retainers for plant support and in particular supports used to prop up a plant in a container such as a pot, a bucket or a planter.
The problem of supporting canes and stakes within pots has long been recognised and a number of solutions have been proposed. The problem manifests itself more in the case when fruit bearing plants such as tomato need to be supported.
In some instances as for example when the pot is small, canes are too large and sticks are used or a plastic fan shape mesh is inserted directly into the growing medium resulting in inadequate support.
In the case of a bushy plant such as fuschia, a number of stems have to be supported and therefore a single cane is inappropriate.
For climbing plants, a trellis like construction, a hoop or a mesh is more appropriate.
It has been proposed previously to provide a device for supporting a plant comprising a collar having two elements releasably secured together, the collar being supported above the lowest most end of the legs with the legs being inserted in recesses formed on the perimeter of a container. Such support device is disclosed in GB 2307170A.
It has been found that when such supporting device whilst operating satisfactorily in supporting plant stems when a cane or stake is supported on which an appreciable bending moment is exerted together with movement due to wind, the two halves of the collar may come apart.
Furthermore, the container for use with the disclosed device needs to be specially manufactured to include on its upper perimeter housing in which the lower part of the legs fit tightly.
The object of the present invention is therefore to overcome the above limitations and provide a cost effective and simple device which can be used to retain a variety of plant supports, as required by the type of plant, with more than one size and shape of readily available containers.